Direction-indicator for motor-vehicles.



. M. owMAN. i

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR YNICI'I'OR VEHICLES. M I I APPL|cA|onmin n.zo, 1917. nndzwm nus.`1.|91s i I ,$02,296. V Patented Ap1129, 1919.

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.|.-. M. BOWMAN.

` DIRECTION TNDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. uru'cmon mgo mme. 1911. we wtu Aus. l. ma. 1,302,296.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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LEVI M. EOWMAN, 0F TULSA, OKLAHOMA,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM A.

SMITH, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Application led April 20, 1917, Serial No. 163,468. Renewed August 1, 1918.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Lnvr M. BOWMAN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and tate of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators for Motor-Vehicles; and-I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to direction indicators for motor vehicles and has for one of its objects the provision of a device of this character, whereby the operator of the automobile or motor vehicle may readily notify traffic in the front and rear in which direction a turn is contemplated, thus obviating mun... arms when they move to signalingpositipn so as tol make them visible 'A at'night einen y A' stillgfurther object of this invention is the' revision of 4novel electrical means for moving 'the' direction indicating arms into p signaling or horizontal vp'ositionand which "will :maintailn this position until manually j' tively low cost.

released.

A still `further object of this invention is the provision of a direction indicator of fthe .abovestated character, which shall be simplerdi1iable and eiiicient, and which may i 'be manufactured and y Y lsold at a compara- MVA"With these and other objects in viewtas will rbeebm'emore apparent as the descriptionproceeds, the invention consistsvin cer- 'tainnovel" features` of construction, combination andarrangement ofj'parts as will be hereniater`` more fully described and Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Apr. 29, 191e.

Serial No. 247,872.

F or a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in whichw Figure l is a fragmentary rear elevation partly in section of an automobile illustrating my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view illusi'i'a'ting in dotted lines the normal position of the indicating arms,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. i is a transverse sectional view taken through the indicatin arms,

Fig. 5 is a longitu inal sectionall view of the electrical means for swinging the Signaling arms into signaling position,

Fig.I 6 is a transverse sectional view illus-v trating the mea-ns for locking the direction indicating arms into signaling position,

- Fig. T is a diagrauunatical view of the wiring diagram for my invention,

F ig. 8 is a detail view illustrating a bell crank lever to be used in connection with my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral. l indicates the body of an automobile having the usual wind shield 2 mounted thereon. The body l is provided with a dash 3 for the purpose of supporting a portion of my invention so that the same will be in convenient reach of the operator. The foregoing description relates to a well known construction of automobiles and to which my invention is applied.

Brackets 4 are secured upon each side of the'wind shield as illustrated at 5 and have secured thereto, casings 6. The casings 6 have pivotally mounted therein, direction indicating arms 7, as shown at 8 and which are of hollow formation. The signaling arms "i" extend through an elongated slot 9 in the casings and have their free ends enlarged in the formation of an arrow jl0. The arrows l() are constructed from a frame, which have their side faces closed by glass 'plates `11, which may be of any desired color suitable for the purpose. Located within the` arrows are reflectors in which are mounted,

arms at night time, sogas to make the directionindieating armsA visible at allftimes.

Operating arms 14 are Vformed on the pivoted ends of the direction indicating arms 7 and have connected thereto, flexible cables 15, which extend through slots or openings 16 in the casing. The exible cables 15 extend downwardly from the casings 6 and pass over pulleys 17 over the front of the dash 3 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Iii. desired, the pulleys 17 may be replaced by bell crank levers 18, as shown in Fig. 8.

A suitable casing 19 is secured to the dash 3 in any well known manner and has mounted in each end, solenoids 20. Slidably mounted within the solenoids 20 is a core 21 having formed upon each end, rods 22, which eX- tend through the ends of the casings and connected to the free ends of the ieXible cables 15. A lever 23 is pivoted to the casings as shown at 24 and is adapted to engage either of the notches 25 formed within the core 21 under the influence of the spring 26 for locking the core in either of the solenoids after being drawn therein. The solenoids 20 are connected to an electrical source, which will be hereinafter more fully described, whereby upon energizing one of the solenoids, the core 21 will be drawn therein, moving one of the direction indicating arms into signaling or horizontal position. As the core -21 moves 'within the above referred to solenoid when energized, the lever 23 drops within one of the notches 25 under the tension of the Spring 26 and holds the core against returning to its normal position, thereby supporting the direction indicating arm in signalin position, thus it will be noted that it 1s only necessary to energize the solenoids by an electrical current to draw the core 21 therein whence it will become locked against movement supporting the direction indicating arm in signaling position.

When it is desired to move the other direction indicating arm into signaling position, the other solenoid is energized attracting the core 21 therein, andupon movement of the core 21 in said solenoid, it will become locked therein, owing to the fact that the lever 23 moves into the other notch 25, holding the direction indicating arm in signaling position. When it is desired to permit the direction indicatingV arms to return to their normal positions as shown in Fig. 2 b dotted lines, the lever 23 is disengaged rom the notch 25 whence the `direction indicating arms move downwardly by gravity, returning the core 21 to its normal position' as shown in Fi 5.

Y`Located within each ofthe solenoids 20 are shock absorbing springs 27 to prevent undue rapid movement of the core 21 when reaching its innermost position within the solenoids. v

Each of the direction indicating arms adjacent their pivot points are provided with a movable contact 28, which is adapted to engage a stationary contact 29, when the direction indicating arms move into signaling position. The electric lamps 13 being connected to the contacts 29 and 28 by conductors, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 7 in which a diagram of the wiring system of my invention is shown, it consists of a storage battery 30, having connected thereto, a conductor 31, which is in turn connected to a push button 32. The 'push button 32 is connected to a conductor 33, which connects to the right hand solenoid. A conductor 34 is connected to right hand solenoid and to a conductor 35, which is connected to the storage battery, whereby upon completing an electric circuit through the push button 32, the righthand direction indieating arm will be moved into signaling position. A conductor 36 is connected to the conductors 35 and to a switch 37. The electric lamp 13 located within the right hand direction indicating arm is connected to the switch 37 by a conductor 38. A conductor 39 leads from the right hand electric lampl3 to the right hand stationary contact 29. A c011- ductor 40 is connected to the right hand movable contact or the contact located on and carried by the right hand direction indicating arm. The conductor .40 is in turn connected to the conductor 31, whereby upon closin the switch 37 and the right. hand 'direction indicating arm moving into signaling position, the electric lamp therein will be illuminated, thus making the arm visible at night time. A push 41 is connected to the conductor 35 and has connected thereto, a

"conductor 42, which is in turn connected to the left hand solenoid. A conductor 43 is connected to the left hand solenoid and to the conductor 31. whereby upon closing the push.

button 41, the left hand solenoid will be energized, swinging the left hand direction indicating arm into signaling position. A conductor 44 is connected to the conductor 31'and to a switch 45. The switch 45 is connected to the left hand electric lamp 13 located within the left hand direction indieating arm by-a conductor 46. A conductor 47 is connected to the left hand electric lamp 13 and to the left hand stationary contact 29. A conductor 48 is connected to the left hand movable contact 28 and to the conductor 35, whereby upon closing thel switch 45 and the left hand direction indicating arm moving into signaling position, the left hand electric lamp 13 will be illuminated. The

various push buttons and switches heretofore described may be located upon the'y dash 3 or any desired point within convenient I.reach of the operator of the automobile or motor vehicle.

While I have shown and described the preerred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of i: vflhnts may be illude wthllf departing fomw i Utile spirit and scope of the jinventlon as claimed.'`

` 5 claim: i *l i V l `k^direoti0n indicator for n1otor"'ve]'1i'- arms' pivoted Within said kcasings" andinor- .solenvoids, al core slidable in said solenoids,

`means forconnectingthe coreto the directiontfindlcating arms, means for energ1z1ng,

" x the"` solenoids'to attract the; core for moving the direction indicating arms in signaling `--`a0a1nst' movement to hold the direction nmating `arms in signaling position.

Pfl-Aj' direction indicator for motor vehicles comprising casings, directionv indicating "20 warms pivoted to `said'Jcasings andnormall'y depending ydownwardly therefrom, a caslng, ysolenoids mounted Withm .the last named casing, "a core slida-ble in said so1enoids niiexible cables connected to each i end `of the ore and 'to the directionindicating arms, l" means for energizing the 'solenoids to attract vthe `tore forurniovingthe direction indicating "lesgconiprising casings secured upon each side] of the vehicle, direction indicating arms' nrpivoted to `said caslngs and normally -dev cle', acore slidablefingsaidsolenoidslnd Having thus described my invention, I; nectingy theen `s ofthe core tothe r`directnmy ompris'ing casings, direction indicating. y

` direction indicatingiarms into signaling pofinally .fdependinlggy` downwardly therefrom,y

y19u"lmifi011, and i means for lockingt, the core vcles "comprising a, pairof;relvaftiyelydspacedn tl'cal means foryenergizing thewsolenoidstof" i `Signaling position,

cles comprising a casing',` solenoidslocated,` i within each end offseidf` casing, alcore slidv arms/operatively connected to each -end`^`o i armsinto signaling position, and means for a docking' `the core `Within the solenoids `for V v f inpresencefo 3. A-l irectionindlcator for motor vehl pendingf: downwardli therefrom, relatively spaced solenoids carried by, the, motor` vehil ing relatively Ls aced notches, means'forco indicating arms, means for energizingglthe solenoids forattraetingy the core to l'n'o'Ye the i sition, a levery located adjacent the solc'noids and yadapted to' engage either of the :notches ,of the core for lockingy said `co1jel`.against movement'` to support 'thelv direction.` n indicating arms "in signalin lpositi'on.` f V 4. A direction kin icator for motor ,vehi-f# solenoids, a cOIe hfilgits ends disposed said@ solenolds; directlon mdicatmg means connected'toeach end of the core, and'v elec move the directionindieatingmeans into y "`5."A direction-"ndicator foriniotor vvelii-` p the core, andelectrical meansfor energizing the solenoids to movethe direction indicat-,` in armslinto signali ositio'rlr."l wtf n ntestimon *Whe1 yeo-` iixmytsgnature 351 two Witnessesf d n vWitnesses: c f f GLADYS JOHNSON, L. W. LASON'g`v` 'i 'Copies of this liatentriinny be` obtained for five cents each,`by addressingtheiifcommissioner nghteiitll, t 

